About Accreditation

Usually the reason for getting something independently evaluated is to confirm it meets specific requirements in order to reduce risks. Obvious examples are product failure, health risks, company reputation or to meet legal or customer requirements. Anything or anyone can be evaluated - products, equipment, people, management systems or organisations.

Getting accredited by Accreditation Body means, the certification body has been assessed against internationally recognised standards to demonstrate their competence, impartiality and performance capability.

It is the ability to distinguish between a proven, competent evaluator that ensures that the selection of a certification body is an informed choice and not a gamble.

This means that the customer reduces the risk of selecting an incompetent evaluator and paying for, or more seriously, acting upon invalid results.

Relation between Accreditation Body, Certification Body & Client:

Organizations that recognize the benefits of implementing management systems often seek independent verification of conformance to standards by third-party certification bodies (CBs).

Accreditation by a recognized and respected body ensures the impartiality and competence of the CB and fosters confidence and acceptance of the CB's certifications by end users in the public and private sectors.

We all want to have confidence in the goods and services that we use. Trust is essential whether in the high street, the supermarket or buying as a business.

There is a means of building trust in the market place and in public services.

Getting certified from competent CB who is accredited by the reputed and recognised Accreditation Body is the key to ensuring that clients can have confidence in the quality of their goods and in the provision of services throughout the supply chain.

What is Accreditation

Accreditation is the means by which an authoritative body (such as the ASCB) gives formal recognition that an organization (such as ICPL) is competent to carry out specific tasks. Accreditation provides assurance to a CB's customers that the CB continues to operate according to internationally accepted criteria.

Accreditation is used to validate or verify the conformance of a certification body to the requirements of national and/or international criteria.

An accreditation body is an organization that grants the authority to issue certificates to the certification body. An accredited certification body is an organization assessed and recognized by an accrediting body for its competence to audit and issue (and withdraw) certification attesting that an organization, product, or person meets the requirements of a standard or other requirements.

An organization considering certification rightfully wants to know about the reputation and competence of the CB it selects. The organization wants assurance that the CB is competent to evaluate its systems and that their customers will value the CB's judgment, no matter where their customers are located. Each country is responsible for devising its own system for providing such assurance through the process of accreditation.

How often are accredited management systems CBs re-examined ?

Accreditations are valid for THREE years. Continuance of accreditation (surveillance) includes an annual office assessment and an annual witnessed audit. A complete reassessment is required every THREE years. Increased surveillance may require performed if the CB wishes to extend the scope of accreditation to cover additional industry sectors or to participate in certain specialty fields.

Benefits of Accreditation

Almost since Benjamin Disraeli declared that "elevating the condition of the people" was a responsibility of government, a framework has evolved to create confidence in the market place and in our public services.”

Trust is placed in the products and services on offer often without a second thought by the customer, such are the regulations and standards against which products are manufactured and services provided.